DuPage Theatre measure off ballot

LOMBARD — A referendum question testing the waters on restoring the DuPage Theatre was pulled by its proponents to avoid confusion with a 1 percent sales-tax-increase measure on the March 21 ballot.

Friends of the DuPage Theatre wanted to ask voters about having the Village of Lombard restore the theatre without raising property taxes. But with the tax-increase question, confusion arose as to whether it was earmarked for the theater.

"It had to be certified by Jan. 19, and there were enough signatures and no one contested it, so we would've certified it," said Village Manager William Lichter. "However, [Friends of the DuPage Theatre] asked us to pull the question before we could do so."

Village officials are in negotiations with RSC & Associates and Daniel P. Coffey & Associates regarding a purchase agreement for the historic theater. They intend to redevelop the site as a mixed-use residential and retail space with 110 condominiums and 20,000 square feet of retail space.